When contacted by Reuters, Mr Wildrik said, "We mutually agreed on the departure and I leave a strong team behind."

In another move, Noble's group head of market risk, Yannis Tzamouranis, has also left Noble after seven years at the company.

A Hong-Kong based spokesman at Noble confirmed that Mr Wildrik and Mr Tzamouranis were leaving the firm but declined to provide details or say if Noble had appointed replacements.

Mr Tzamouranis told Reuters he was no longer with Noble.

Mr Wildrik was listed as one of seven executives who make up Noble's senior management and was featured in the company's latest annual report.

Sources close to Noble and investors have said Noble's business remains hemmed in by financing constraints - a major issue for trading houses - and has lost many traders, analysts and managers over the past months, despite cash offers to keep key staff until December.